• About
    • Which Energy Mix is this?
  • Climate News Network Archive
  • Contact
Celebrating our 1,000th edition. The climate news you need
No Result
View All Result
The Energy Mix
  • Canada
  • UK & Europe
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Ending Emissions
  • Community Climate Finance
  • Clean Electricity Grid
  • Cities & Communities
SUBSCRIBE
DONATE
  • Canada
  • UK & Europe
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Ending Emissions
  • Community Climate Finance
  • Clean Electricity Grid
  • Cities & Communities
SUBSCRIBE
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
The Energy Mix
No Result
View All Result
  FEATURED
EXCLUSIVE: Hydrogen is Up, Pieridae is Out as German Chancellor Preps for Canada Visit August 15, 2022
Historic Climate Bill Passes U.S. House, Goes to Biden for Signature August 15, 2022
BREAKING: U.S. Senate Passes Historic $369B Climate Package August 7, 2022
Researchers Point To ‘Dangerously Unexplored’ Risk of Global Climate Catastrophe August 2, 2022
Koch Network Pressures Manchin, Sinema as Advocates Praise ‘Game Changing’ Climate Deal August 2, 2022
Next
Prev

Small Food Choices Can Make a Big Difference, New Research Shows

August 29, 2021
Reading time: 2 minutes

U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr

U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr

6
SHARES
 

Recent studies measuring potential health and environmental benefits from strategic dietary changes have found that modest shifts in consumption patterns can significantly reduce the global footprint of food production.

“Just 10% of the average calorie intake is responsible for over a third of the average dietary footprint,” writes Medical News Today. “By substituting this and the most harmful dietary items, people could benefit their health and the environment,” 

One study, published in Nature Food, analyzed the impacts of more than 5,800 food choices. “The researchers found that plant-based foods generally outperform animal products environmentally and health-wise,” notes Medical News Today. “However, factors such as water use might necessitate trade-offs between healthy foods and those that do not damage the environment.” 

Some details in that study could help consumers understand the long-term effects of their dietary choices. A hot dog, for example, could reduce one’s lifespan by 36 minutes, and processed beef can have four times the carbon footprint of poultry. Based on these measurements, the researchers ranked the foods in a “traffic light system” of green, amber, and red to signify high benefits, fewer benefits, and adverse effects.

“We hope these approaches can make this information more accessible and empower individuals to make small or even big changes to their diet that can lead to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle,” study lead author Katerina Stylianou told Medical News Today.

Another study, also published in Nature Food, supports the claim that informed, targeted dietary changes can greatly reduce the global footprint of food production. The research assesses China’s 2015 “Potato as Staple Food” policy, which proposes increasing the portion of potatoes in Chinese staple crop consumption from 6% to 30%.

The study found that the potato policy could “reduce the total carbon–land–water impacts of staple crops by 17 to 25% by 2030.” They also found that a greater dietary reliance on potatoes can reduce the total land used to produce staple crops by 17%.

“Potatoes have several agronomic benefits over other staple crops,” writes Carbon Brief in its coverage of the study. “They are more drought-resistant and more geographically adaptable, making them more resistant to a changing climate.” 

The study notes several possible drawbacks to the potato policy, such as greater perishability compared to staple grains. An increase in potato production without an associated increase in consumption could also result in higher rice imports, which would offset the potential environmental benefits. An answer, said the study authors, could be to promote potatoes “across the entire food supply chain from production to consumption” by adding them to pre-made foods like noodles and buns.



in Asia, Climate & Society, Climate Impacts & Adaptation, Demand & Distribution, Food Security, Health & Safety, International, International Agencies & Studies, Jurisdictions, Media, Messaging, & Public Opinion, Supply Chains & Consumption, United States

The latest climate news and analysis, direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Related Posts

Suncor Energy Plant_Max and Dee Bernt:Flickr
Ending Emissions

Fossils Would ‘Bust the Paris Agreement’ with Inadequate Decarbonization Plans

August 18, 2022
2
Ken Hodge/Flickr
Oil & Gas

No Path for Canadian LNG Exports to Europe, IISD Analysis Concludes

August 18, 2022
3
Steve Jurvetson/flickr
International Security & War

The Other Kind of Climate Change: Even a ‘Limited’ Nuclear War Would Trigger Starvation, Kill Billions

August 18, 2022
75

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Trending Stories

Brocken Inaglory/wikimedia commons

State-Wide Megastorm Driven by Global Heating Could Drench California for a Month

August 15, 2022
1.1k
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coal_Carbon_Capture_Technology_In_Use.png

Carbon Capture a ‘Dangerous Distraction’, 500 Organizations Warn Canada, U.S.

July 23, 2021
617
TGEGASENGINEERING/Wikimedia Commons

EXCLUSIVE: Hydrogen is Up, Pieridae is Out as German Chancellor Preps for Canada Visit

August 15, 2022
1.1k
Vinaykumar8687/WikimediaCommons

Solar On Track for ‘Staggering’ 30% Growth This Year

August 15, 2022
315
Early stages of construction on the Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor in France

Failing French Nuclear Plants Drive Up Electricity Costs as Heat Waves Cut Production

August 14, 2022
753
rawpixel

Common Medications Foil Body’s Ability to Cope with Hot Weather

August 15, 2022
205

Recent Posts

Suncor Energy Plant_Max and Dee Bernt:Flickr

Fossils Would ‘Bust the Paris Agreement’ with Inadequate Decarbonization Plans

August 18, 2022
2
Ken Hodge/Flickr

No Path for Canadian LNG Exports to Europe, IISD Analysis Concludes

August 18, 2022
3
Steve Jurvetson/flickr

The Other Kind of Climate Change: Even a ‘Limited’ Nuclear War Would Trigger Starvation, Kill Billions

August 18, 2022
75
kris krüg/flickr

Guilbeault Considering Alternatives to Releasing Toxic Tailings into Athabasca River

August 18, 2022
2
Ford F-150 LIghtning

U.S. Utility Plans to Draw Power from Ford Electric Pickups

August 18, 2022
2
power pylons sunrise grid

Midwestern U.S. Grid Investment Supports Massive Increase in Renewables

August 18, 2022
3
Next Post
Martin Lopatka/Wikimedia Commons

Wildlife Habitat Lost to Wildfire May Take Many Years to Recover

The Energy Mix

Copyright 2022 © Smarter Shift Inc. and Energy Mix Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy and Copyright
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Canada
  • UK & Europe
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Ending Emissions
  • Community Climate Finance
  • Clean Electricity Grid
  • Cities & Communities

Copyright 2022 © Smarter Shift Inc. and Energy Mix Productions Inc. All rights reserved.

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}